Welcome all! Today, I’m part of the book tour for Second To Sin by Murray Bailey. Thanks to Murray for the gifted book to write an unbiased review
“It only takes a second to sin,” Father Thomas said. He believes in saving souls, but Charles Balcombe is beyond saving. His control over his killer instinct appears to be weakening. BlackJack has killed again and more questions are being asked of Detective Inspector Munro. He is under increasing pressure to solve the murders, especially when he picks up more cases from Kowloon rather than solving his own.
As Balcombe battles with his demon, he investigates the death of a young woman. Was it an accident or did she kill herself? At first Balcombe thinks it’s straightforward but as he digs, other cases reveal an evil in Hong Kong. One that could consume them all.
Set in 1954, this is book 2 of the series. It can be read as a stand-alone but the author recommends book 1 (Once a Killer) first.
Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, David Baldacci and Tom Wood.
Second To Sin is the second book in Murray Baileys BlackJack series. I have been eagerly awaiting this book and wasted no time getting started.
We are once again back with Charles Balcombe, AKA BlackJack. A character that started life in the Ash Carter series. Ash Carter is another of Murray Baileys’ amazing series. The best way to appreciate BlackJack is to definitely read the series in order.
Charles Balcombe is still in Hong Kong, and it’s now 1954. He is doing what he is most skilled at, and that’s killing the scum of society. He has an uneasy ‘partnership’ we will call it, with Detective Inspector Munro of the Hong Kong police. Together, they investigate the case of a missing girl. Balcombe himself is asked to look into a young girls death. What seems to be a suicide turns into something more suspicious. The more he digs, the more evil he finds.
It’s yet another, totally thrilling, page turner of a read. I thought the first book was good, but this is even better! Murray Bailey makes me feel like I am in Hong Kong with Balcombe. His detailed descriptions create such vivid pictures in my mind.
BlackJack/Balcombe is a character that your mind tells you to hate, but you can’t help but like him… a little bit. The more time I spend reading about his escapades, the more I don’t want to leave Hong Kong and all that it entails.
Murray Bailey cleverly interweaves two story threads, which cranks the action up. There are plenty of twists and red herrings that kept on my toes as I got closer to the end. Before I knew it, I was turning the last page. I’m hoping Murray has book three in hand already! This is a series I highly recommend for any crime thriller lovers out there.
Author Bio
Murray Bailey Is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father’s experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s.
Murray is well traveled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.
Murray lives on the south coast of England with his family and a dog called Teddy.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 